Chapter 10
Devlin tried to settle his nerves, but he had a hard time tamping down what Jenni said was a “million years of evolution” reminding him that he was human and most everyone in the park was not. He’d been at Amazing Adventures for a month, working in the finance department by day and sexing up his lioness soulmate at night. But right now, he was giving a presentation to the council – made up of the alphas and other important members of the shifter groups – about the finances for the park as well as an update on the apartment complex.
He was nervous because he wanted to do well for his bosses. He’d have been nervous whether they were shifters or not. Maybe.
Joss cleared his throat. The alpha wolf was a serious man and Devlin had only seen him smile twice in the last month. Jenni had explained that Joss had killed his son, after he put the entire park at risk by attacking Zane’s soulmate, Adriana. Devlin couldn’t imagine doing something like that to his own child, but shifters were more practical than humans, and they saw the world in different tones than he did.
“You have a report for us, Devlin?” Joss asked.
“Yes,” he said, standing and carrying his laptop to the head of the conference table. The council met monthly, but could also convene to discuss important issues related to the park and their people.
Devlin plugged his laptop into the projection system while Jupiter lowered a screen on the wall for his presentation. Shaking off his nerves, he started the presentation, flipping through the slides that he’d made to explain the park’s financial situation. After answering questions, he turned his attention to the apartment complex.
Clicking the next slide, he said, “The bank approved the construction loan, so we just need to choose a builder from the six bids that we accepted. We’re looking at around twelve months until completion, depending on weather, supplies, and workers. The two-story building will have four apartments on each floor with exterior entrances. Each apartment will have two bedrooms and one bathroom.”
Devlin detailed the different timelines and costs for each builder that had submitted a bid for the job, and the alphas voted on Vane Brothers Construction. He’d thought they were the best fit for the job, too.
“Set up a meeting for the company,” Atticus said. “We’d like to meet them in person.”
“And I have a number of wolves who would be available to help with construction as well,” Joss said.
“I’ll set something up for them next week,” Devlin said.
“I think that’s everything,” Caesar said.
As the group dispersed, Devlin said, “Can I speak to you for a minute, Caesar?”
“Sure,” he said.
Devlin unplugged his laptop and shut the lid, waiting until they were alone before he spoke.
“I’d like to ask Jenni to marry me, and since she thinks of you as a father, I wanted to get your permission.”
Caesar said nothing for a long moment, and then smiled. “Of course, I approve. I wouldn’t think of standing in the way of the traditions of your people, since you accepted ours so easily.”
Devlin knew that shifters didn’t necessarily consider marriage by human standards to be more than a piece of government-issued paper, but it was important to him that Jenni be his wife and take his last name.
“I’d like to propose after dinner on Sunday night,” he said.
“That’s a great idea. The pride would love to be part of it, since it’s not normal for us.”
“Depending on how many mates end up being human, though, I suspect that there will be a lot more proposals in the pipeline.”
“True. Your sister and cousin aren’t engaged yet.”
“I’m sure they will be soon. Win and Justus would do anything for their mates.”
“That’s the way it’s supposed to be.”
Devlin walked out of the meeting room with Caesar, and headed topside, where he borrowed an SUV from the park and went to find a jewelry store. He’d already gathered one of Jenni’s rings from her jewelry box to use for sizing. It hadn’t taken him long to find the perfect ring for her – two diamonds centered on a platinum ring, with rows of tiny diamonds on either side. It was the perfect size, too.
After leaving the jewelry store, he picked up a bottle of sparkling wine for the celebration and returned to the park and back to work. He hadn’t thought it was possible to like a job more than he had his previous job as assistant controller. Being the finance manager for the park was more challenging and rewarding than he ever thought possible. He was helping to ensure that the park stayed profitable so their people had a place to live. Working for the park meant he was helping to keep a roof over his sweetheart’s head and to provide stability and a wonderful future for their children.
* * *
Jenni thought Devlin was acting strange Sunday evening when he came to get her after the shop was closed for the day. He was smiling, but he was trying to hide just how much. He was definitely up to something, but she couldn’t fathom what it might be.
“We could go out to dinner instead of eating with the pride,” she suggested.
“No!” He cleared his throat and then said with less enthusiasm, “I mean that we should eat with the pride because it’s one of Caesar’s unspoken rules.”
She hummed. “Okay. Just a suggestion.”
“Tomorrow though, since it’s technically the start of our weekend, I’d love to take you out.”
“I’d like to try the new Italian place. I could go for some cannolis.”
After arriving at their house, she showered and changed, and they walked to Caesar’s house. When he opened the front door, the scent of fried chicken hit her nose and she purred at the thought of eating one of her favorite things.
Her stomach growled loudly. “Hungry?” Devlin teased.
“You know it. Plus, I love fried chicken.”
“Me, too.”
They joined the pride at the table and ate, conversation flowing smoothly between them all. She marveled at how easily Devlin fit into her world. He joked with the pride and they treated him as if he’d been with them for years instead of just a month. They’d even started working out together a few times a week, and she’d loved watching Devlin push himself on the weights that made his muscles bulge and filled her mind with all sorts of wicked thoughts.
She’d thought she might never find a mate, but she had, and he was perfect. Well, he did leave his wet towels on the bathroom floor and more often than not forgot to put his dishes in the dishwasher, but those were all things she didn’t really mind because she was crazy about him. It hadn’t taken long for her sexy, tattooed soulmate to burrow into her heart, but there he was. She loved him. And she couldn’t wait to tell him.
The table was cleared and she pushed her chair out so they could head home, but Devlin stopped her. “Hold on, sweetheart,” he said.
“What?” she asked.
He pushed his chair back and dropped to one knee. Her breath caught in her throat and every instinct within her focused on his hand and the diamond ring glittering in the overhead light.
“Jenni, I feel like we’ve been together for years and not just weeks. I never imagined I’d be settling down with such a beautiful woman, or that she’d be able to shift into a lioness whenever she fancied, but I can’t imagine my life without you in it. I wouldn’t want to go to bed without your sweet scent enveloping me, or wake up without you next to me, and I never, ever want to go back to a place where I was just existing and working, and not really living, the way that I am now that we’re together. I love you with all my heart. Will you marry me?”
She stared at the ring, her vision blurring as tears filled her eyes.
“I love you, too,” she whispered, her voice filled with emotion. “And yes, I will.”
The pride cheered, clapping and roaring their happiness, as Devlin pushed the ring onto her finger and stood, drawing her to her feet and kissing her.
Celeste and Jupiter opened the bottle of sparkling wine that Devlin had brought, and glasses were passed around. She and Devlin sat down and she brushed at her wet cheeks. She couldn’t stop smiling.
Caesar stood and lifted his glass. “Years ago, we didn’t think about humans becoming our soulmates, because our people found mates within our own kind. But it’s easy to see with the love between the two of you, and the other mates at the zoo, that this is a whole new chapter for our people. Welcome to the family and the pride, Devlin.”
Their glasses clinked and she sipped at the sweet and bubbly drink. Resting her head on his shoulder, she said, “I love my ring.”
“One diamond for you and one for me.”
“And the other little diamonds?”
“How many kids we’ll have.”
She looked at the ring more closely. “That’s a lot of kids.”
He laughed and kissed her. “However many kids we have, our family will be amazing.”
“Because we’re both so awesome.”
“And modest,” Caesar said.
She and Devlin laughed and the pride joined in. As the conversation turned to their engagement, excitement brewed within her. Even though they were soulmates, she still wanted to be his wife, and his proposal was a dream come true. And maybe soon they’d get started on their family. Little boys with his blue eyes and infectious smile, and little girls with her blonde hair and fierce lioness nature. She hoped their kids could shift, but even if they couldn’t it wouldn’t matter. She’d learned something about having a soulmate – the outside package didn’t matter as much as the heart, and in her mind, Devlin was as fierce and protective as any shifter she’d ever met.
He was a lion in his heart, and she loved him from head to toe.